B2 Upper-intermediate Advanced relative clauses
Relative clauses: prepositions and whose
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can use preposition + whom / which in formal writing, and use whose correctly.
When to use it
- Formal writing: the man to whom I spoke.
- Informal speech: the man I spoke to.
- Expressing possession: the girl whose painting won the prize.
Form
| Register | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| formal | preposition + whom / which | the person to whom I wrote |
| informal | pronoun + … + preposition at the end | the person who I wrote to |
| even more informal | leave out the pronoun | the person I wrote to |
| possession | whose + noun | the student whose project won |
Step by step
- Check whether the clause contains a preposition (speak to, work for, live in).
- For a formal style: move the preposition before whom (people) or which (things).
- For an informal style: leave the preposition at the end.
- Note: the preposition appears once only.
Three hard rules
| Rule | Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| After a preposition use whom, not who | to who I spoke | to whom I spoke |
| No that after a preposition | in that we live | in which we live |
| Use the preposition only once | for which she works for | for which she works |
Examples
That's the man to whom I spoke yesterday.
That's the man I spoke to yesterday.
The company for which she works is in Ha Noi.
The house in which we live is very old.
That's the student whose project won the prize.
This is my friend Lan, whose brother studies in Japan.
Common mistakes
The man to who I spoke was helpful. → The man to whom I spoke was helpful.
Right after a preposition you must use whom, not who.
The house in that we live is old. → The house in which we live is old.
that never follows a preposition directly.
The company for which she works for is big. → The company for which she works is big.
The preposition appears once — either at the front or at the end.
Memory tip
Pick one style and stick to it: preposition at the front goes with whom/which; at the end goes with who/that or nothing. Mixing them is the error.
Summary
- Formal: preposition + whom / which. Informal: preposition at the end.
- Never who or that straight after a preposition.
- whose shows possession, for people and things alike.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.